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 What the Server once was, and what it is now.

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Nuwisha
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PostSubject: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptySun 28 Aug 2011, 7:39 pm

This server was once an Old World of Darkness server which no longer really exist.

We have decided to move away from that setting as it contains really no plot or backround to draw from other than being a somewhat horror genre with vampires and werewolves running around.

We have decided to take the Fantasy world approach, you will recognize the city as it was if you played here before, but the lore is completely different as you will see, and will make more sense in the long run... hopefully you guys will enjoy what Angel, I and Nino have come up with.


Thank you for taking your time to play with us, see you all in game!
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Nuwisha

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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyTue 30 Aug 2011, 1:19 am

So I'm a bit confused...are we going to have custome lore and background now for the server? Also, what about characters that aren't werewolves or vampires will they ahve to be deleted or just changed to fit the setting?
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyTue 30 Aug 2011, 1:22 pm

The lore is being completely reworked to fit a new setting and new world, which angel is hard at work doing...

And the character can remain somewhat the same if you wish it, but they won't be exactly the same just as Sharisse and Dranz found out about their demon characters who are still running around.
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Lore Mistress
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyTue 30 Aug 2011, 6:45 pm

The lore and I are becoming quite good friends, even if we're about to kill each other.

*lol*

I will be posting some basic lore on the world once I've had a chance to run it all by Neko- cooperation, boys and girls! the key to a healthy marriage!- and then polish it a bit.

And when work stops trying to blow me up. Seriously.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyTue 30 Aug 2011, 8:00 pm

As we said its nothing to have a heart attack about...
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Whitefire14

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PostSubject: dude, wait, what?   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 3:25 pm

Why redo everything? The server was cool and perfectly allowed my intentionally underpowered characters. "Fantasy world approach" sounds a bit too much like "woot action grindfest," and I seriously hope that appearance is completely wrong.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 3:50 pm

Grind fest? When did I ever say that in anyway shape or form?

And no, the World of Darkness thing was NOT working if it was we wouldn't be in this situation.
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Whitefire14

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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 4:24 pm

It's the whole "infinitely regressive" concept. It's why I don't like almost all the existing NWN servers. Often they start as serious RP in any particular universe, then miscellaneous fantasy gets thrown in, soon people walk around with 9001 buffs and picking fights in the middle of cities. The people that don't like to deal with the grindfest end up with nothing to do because social circles form among the extensively power-built level 40s and everyone else is screwed unless they go through the countless hours to get the same stuff everyone else has. Somehow, that style gets more players. I think you might be more capable of resisting that descent, as you have successfully resisted it for a long time and are active hosts, but it's happened every time I've seen over the course of too many years.

How was it not working? Sure, the player base was very low, but it was fun, not too insane, and the people I dealt with weren't assholes. If it's hosting or copyright issues, then I have no idea and I agree it wasn't working.
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Dranz
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 5:28 pm

Whitefire14 wrote:
It's the whole "infinitely regressive" concept. It's why I don't like almost all the existing NWN servers. Often they start as serious RP in any particular universe, then miscellaneous fantasy gets thrown in, soon people walk around with 9001 buffs and picking fights in the middle of cities. The people that don't like to deal with the grindfest end up with nothing to do because social circles form among the extensively power-built level 40s and everyone else is screwed unless they go through the countless hours to get the same stuff everyone else has. Somehow, that style gets more players. I think you might be more capable of resisting that descent, as you have successfully resisted it for a long time and are active hosts, but it's happened every time I've seen over the course of too many years.

How was it not working? Sure, the player base was very low, but it was fun, not too insane, and the people I dealt with weren't assholes. If it's hosting or copyright issues, then I have no idea and I agree it wasn't working.


Very low is an understatement, after awhile things just faded into non-existance altogether. I do somewhat share your fears, as I made Darin specifically with mostly(If not completely) Roleplaying in mind. To the point that he really sucks quite bad with the built in combat mechanics, which I cannot really transfer his abilities over into.

Sticking to a particular setting does limit what you might be able to do...Then again, I'll also say that much of what happened was also a result of a severe lack of DMing as well. I mean, there were plots and such, but they became too far and few in-between, and people ran out of 'material' so-to-speak. People don't play to 'grind', but grinding is a habitual fall-back these days when all else fails. This isn't a criticism mind you, I am aware that they have lives, and stuff that they have to do before all else.

The issue is making the roleplaying meaningful enough so people don't have to feel the need to grind for lack of anything else to do, really, but also perhaps to do it in a way that makes Roleplay builds viable...this isn't to say we need to delve into dicefighting or anything, but other things can be done. Then, when all else fails, there are still dungeons to run about in I suppose.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 5:41 pm

Very low to be honest, and way to many complaints otherwise... either this or that blah blah blah, not to mention the server reputation being bashed by the Whitewolf server, which is what I kept hearing... even if they can never keep a server up for more than a summer.

Not like im one to talk, considering i've started this thing than gave up on it rather quickly, mainly because of RL issues and Game issues.

Anyhow, I am tired of the World of Darkness theme, it has left a sour taste in my mouth from past experiances with morons.

I did enjoy our player base, or what was left of it but to be honest no one did anything to anyone else, DM intervention or not people NEED to start talking to each other and come up with goals for their own characters, we are here to enhance the world not to do everything for you.

And on top of that the World of Darkness is limited to what can and cannot be done on a server like this... a rather large annoyance that left me with no ideas.

I have made up my mind and we are moving on with something new, I am tired of the same old thing.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 6:02 pm

To promote conflict it may do to introduce an npc run faction or two (That PCs can join, obviously, or simply aid.) With conflicting goals. At this point leaving it up to the players to instigate conflict, or some such, doesn't seem viable, so you may have to offer that push in the right direction. As far as goals or ambition, with this new setting it will probably be even more important to offer people a push in the right direction...having individual goals and working towards them I imagine will be difficult, in the beginning.

These factions don't have to be permanent, they can just serve as a way to get the ball rolling, so-to-speak. For the characters whose goals are ambitious, and largescale, perhaps they can manage on their own(Or make their own organization of sorts.). But at the same time, some characters have more subtle goals, that can be achieved through working under something or someone else.

This is admittedly a demanding idea, but I honestly don't see another viable way of going about things. I'm not saying DMs should do -everything-, but they may need to be the ones to tip over that first domino. Once people get a good feel for things, I see no reason why things shouldn't kick off.

That's one notable issue with how the server was before...it had different races, but there was never really a kick off. Just a slight push.
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PostSubject: Angel's Two Cents   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyThu 01 Sep 2011, 7:43 pm

Dranz, we did have warring NPC factions with the oWoD setting. I wrote up five full noble Venetian houses, complete with supernatural connections, and begged players to take sides to spur conflict. I had a list available, complete with open slots for people to make even a throwaway character to cause some fighting.


And I got two characters.



There were few events, yes. Because the only ones running them were Neko and I, and to be honest, I was burnt out on trying to figure out how to balance my usually overblown STing style with a more realistic world. Anyone who's heard anything about my city, Brandenburg, knows that Crystle does not do "small stories." I blow things up. I destroy worlds. I rewrite history and reality and that's just how I roll.

This doesn't work for what everyone expected of a "realistic" WoD setting, and I exhausted myself (not to mention drove Neko to near-frothing) trying to figure out how to run stories that people wanted to play in, make them personal enough that players would want their characters in them and make them not blow Venice into the next reality. And that ended poorly. I may know oWoD better than almost anyone else, but I manipulate the rules and setting to my liking (per ST's prerogative) and that just doesn't work on something like a NWN server, with a player base that has certain expectations. I tried kicking a few things off, tried setting stuff up. I'll totally take the blame and say I probably didn't make it pointed enough. Oh well, QQ moar, we move on.

It burnt ME out, and having to fight with me burnt poor Neko out. We needed a break from the World of Darkness, as much as I may love it.

So why develop this high fantasy setting?

It's more interesting. There's more flexibility. There's less stress on trying to twist rules and explain why a sidhe can do this to a vampire, a demon can do this to a werewolf, and why these creatures that (by White Wolf's rules) who were never meant to work together are managing to not kill each other.

With Arizide, there's a clean slate where Neko and I can actually flex some creative muscle, feel around for really cool concepts and mesh them together into something that isn't bogged down by player expectations (beyond what everyone's already saying about "high fantasy" servers.) I'm actually excited about it. I honestly want to play now. I want to see what kind of stories we can all create together. I want to see what this world can do, and what everyone can do in it.

As for making an RP-based character vs. a grinding based character, that complaint is as old as NWN itself. It never changes. NWN is based off of D&D. And D&D iiiiiiiiiiiiiis... dungeon crawling. Nine times out of ten, if you're playing D&D, you're in a dungeon somewhere. Or in a war. Or fighting a horde of crotch-grabbing goblins (my poor paladin of fail...) Or combat of SOME sort. Your character doesn't have to be the Uber Fighter of 9000 zOMG. If you're combat weak, so what? Don't grind. Levels do not define your character. I have played a professional elven bard with literally decades of experience behind her. At level 2. No uber Perform. No incredible Bard Song oomph. I RP'd it out.

If your character has a particular skill that your SHEET doesn't have the points to reflect, RP IT. I'll give you an example. My current character, Satin Ruby, was made on a server where level 40 was the norm. She was a psycho powerbuild of Bard/Fighter/RDD, with heavy Taunt and Bard/Curse Song and Dev Crit for her rapier. SHE. WAS. LETHAL.

Now she's level 7. Did that change the character? Nope. Satin's still Satin. She's bouncy, twitchy, friendly and utterly amoral when it comes to killing. Still devoted to her beloved 'kushal,' Khan and still willing to do anything he tells her to. Anyone she respects is still "swaami" and she loves to fight.

Levels don't define your character. You do. Neko and I almost always have a messenger of some sort open, and I'll post my contact info up again just to be as available as possible. Yes, we sleep and work, but we're gamer geeks to the core, which means we always have our computers on. If you need money? Gear? Something for your character? Ping us. Have an idea. We'll help you RP it out. Don't fall into the trap of believing that because you're not level 40, you're useless. The character is where the story is, guys, not the levels. (*is so seriously twitchy about this now, it's not even funny*) As for making RP meaningful, that isn't the Storyteller's responsibility.

I've played on a handful of servers, and some of which that flat-out died. And I hung on them with no DMs available anywhere and still had fun. Why? Because I liked my character and I'd built a story with and about that character. I made it fun. I spurred RP with the few other players I could drag kicking and screaming back into the server to RP with me. A Storyteller/DM is not what makes RP. YOU make RP. I want to run stories, and I want to see what happens, but it's not my personal duty to make RP "fun for the players" because RP in and of itself is fun. Misunderstandings, miscommunication, flirting, arguing, discussing the colour of the rugs in the room or asking about personal histories, trying to persuade someone out of their pants, out of their gold, out of their sparkly earrings, trying to get someone into a room, into a religion, into a point of view... Do any of these need a DM? No. And they're fun as hell.

We're here to bring the world to life around you, not to bring life to your character. Seriously, guys, I appreciate expressing concerns and offering suggestions, but let's try offering ones that haven't been pounded into that dead horse over to the left for the last say... twenty years of roleplaying games being in existence. You want to make sure the world doesn't devolve into nothing but uber level characters? Play a weakling. These stories are overall joint efforts, and while I'm slamming away on the lore while at work and Neko's adjusting and rebuilding to try and give the server some more colour and flavour, be willing to TELL us about events you want to see.

I can't run good stories out of thin air. Give me something to work with!
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyFri 02 Sep 2011, 2:33 am

Seems the overall point of my post was not only missed, but due to my crappy communication skills (I have a -6 in charisma. irl) it was pitched so far overhead that the birds had trouble finding the point.


My apologies, disregard it.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyFri 02 Sep 2011, 2:37 am

Dranz wrote:
Seems the overall point of my post was not only missed, but due to my crappy communication skills (I have a -6 in charisma. irl) it was pitched so far overhead that the birds had trouble finding the point.


My apologies, disregard it.


If you felt the need to say something, then it's not disregardable. I understand concerns, and I welcome the input. I understand that yes, it's hard to play in a world where nothing's going on. But the last time I was trying to run events, I wasn't getting any feedback or requests from people, and I need that if I'm going to be able to run stories people want to be IN. Without that, I end up trying to blow up the world, and that never works out well. *lol*
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyFri 02 Sep 2011, 2:39 am


Quote :

Without that, I end up trying to blow up the world, and that never works out well. *lol*


That's what the Dragonballs are for.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyFri 02 Sep 2011, 1:24 pm

Personally I love the idea of high fantasy...mainly because I get to play characters like Guye an others who don't really have a setting. But I had a question, would for the lore we be able to suggest things to add? Was wondering because about 90% of the characters I've played in most games they were fire and brimstone or faith and hope or some other religious type, so didn't know if I could offer stuff for the gods and churches of the realm lore wise.

Second point. Pardon my being blunt I don't say things nicely, but honestly don't see what us arguing/talking about if the change is a good idea or if there will be issues with it. The change happened so lets just talk about things we can do for the server, here has been one of two servers I ever found that actually bothered to give a damn what the player said so we should take advantage of that and bombard our GMs with ideas! *Loads the mental barrage gun* FIAR IN ZHE HOLE!
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptyFri 02 Sep 2011, 6:58 pm

Nuwisha wrote:
Personally I love the idea of high fantasy...mainly because I get to play characters like Guye an others who don't really have a setting. But I had a question, would for the lore we be able to suggest things to add? Was wondering because about 90% of the characters I've played in most games they were fire and brimstone or faith and hope or some other religious type, so didn't know if I could offer stuff for the gods and churches of the realm lore wise.

Second point. Pardon my being blunt I don't say things nicely, but honestly don't see what us arguing/talking about if the change is a good idea or if there will be issues with it. The change happened so lets just talk about things we can do for the server, here has been one of two servers I ever found that actually bothered to give a damn what the player said so we should take advantage of that and bombard our GMs with ideas! *Loads the mental barrage gun* FIAR IN ZHE HOLE!

I personally welcome any and all suggestions regarding the lore. I'm managing it in my usual Sagittarian/ADD half-ass backward skipping way *lol* but I'm actually TRYING on it, which makes all the difference. Especially if people have those little suggestions that really give things the POP! I'd like to see. Those details that make history feel real.


And, YES GODS DAMN IT! GIMME FUCKIN' IDEAS!!!!
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptySat 26 Nov 2011, 5:18 pm

I have absolutely no idea where this will go or what it is now. But NWN is a dying game and I'm willing to hold onto any server that interests me and CoM is definitely interesting Very Happy So for now I guess I'll be winging it with my rp until more lore is posted!
Personally I'd like to know more about the world's geography so I can get some idea where my character would be from - as a conversation starter if nothing else. I saw the map but only the city of masks was marked.
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptySat 26 Nov 2011, 7:34 pm

Am4d5 wrote:
I have absolutely no idea where this will go or what it is now. But NWN is a dying game and I'm willing to hold onto any server that interests me and CoM is definitely interesting Very Happy So for now I guess I'll be winging it with my rp until more lore is posted!
Personally I'd like to know more about the world's geography so I can get some idea where my character would be from - as a conversation starter if nothing else. I saw the map but only the city of masks was marked.

Lore I'm working on as we speak- I posted some stuff on lycanthropes and the Spiridusul (elves) to help out- but I FAIL with geography of any kind. *lol* Neko's been working on an updated, detailed map which should help a bit!
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PostSubject: Re: What the Server once was, and what it is now.   What the Server once was, and what it is now. EmptySat 26 Nov 2011, 7:54 pm

The maps being updated as I get areas connected and reachable, but as you can see I havent updated the map I posted I currently had (yes had) one made up that was much more updated then something happened to it, which Im not sure what.... but thats what happens when your operating system updates.
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